Odisha Assembly Budget Session from today; session will be stormy as opposition to raise govt failures

Bhubanswar: The Budget Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly (OLA) beginning Tuesday is all set to be stormy as Opposition Congress and BJP have announced to raise Government failures in different sectors to take on the ruling BJD and the latter decided to raise Central apathy towards Odisha.

BJD will raise issues pertaining to special category state status, Mahanadi tribunal, Polavaram project & will discuss topics brought up by the Opposition in the budget session of Assembly says CM Naveen Patnaik after the BJD legislative party meeting concludes.

The BJP Legislature Party meeting under chairmanship of KV Singh Deo decided to make farmer suicide, lack of irrigation facility, nonpayment of input subsidy and law and order issues during the session.

“Let it be farmer suicide, insecurity of women and law and order, each of them is severe in nature and the BJP will raise these issues,” said MLA Pradeep Purohit.

Similarly, the Congress said it would make rape incidents, women insecurity and law and order as main issues to counter the ruling party. “The Congress would raise many issues, mainly rape incidents and law and order, during the session,” said Opposition Chief Tara Prasad Bahinipati.

It may be noted that the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) had met three days back at Opposition Leader Narasingha Mishra’s house as some the MLAs had to move to New Delhi to attend the All India Congress Committee’s plenary session. The CLP is scheduled to meet again on March 20 afternoon.

Governor Dr SC Jamir will address the House on the first day. Finance Minister Shashi Bhushan Behera will present the Annual Budget for the year 2017-18 on March 23. However, the House will pass a vote-on-account for a month’s Budget as the House is meeting late. Passing of vote-on-account is needed for payment of salary to Government employees and running ongoing projects. The vote-on-account is likely to be passed on March 30.

Budget Session will begin from March 20 and continue till May 5 in two phases. The first phase will continue from March 20 to March 31 whereas the second phase will begin from April 11 till the end of the session.

Senior officials of the Commissionerate Police led by Odisha DGP Dr RP Sharma today reviewed the security arrangements ahead of the Budget Session of the State Legislative Assembly beginning from tomorrow.

At least 27 platoons of police force and 100 officers of various ranks will supervise the entire security arrangements.